Buckle.



No. 836,338. PATENTED NOV. 20, 190 J. A. PATTON.

BUCKLE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.15. 1905.

pointe UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed November 15, 1905. Serial No. 287,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs A. PATToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Buckle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckles, and is designed to provide an improved device of this character cap able of being readily applied and removedwith respect to a strap and also capable of being conveniently adjusted thereon.

It is a further object of the invention to particularly adapt the buckle for use as a Suspender-buckle, although it will of course be understood that it is also capable of use in other relations.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the sec e of the claims without departing from t e spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front eleva-' tion of a buckle of the present invention applied to a suspender-strap, Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the buckle looking at the front thereof. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 looking at the back of the buckle. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is an elevation with the members of the buckle opened to their limits.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The buckle of the present invention embodies a back member 1, which is provided at its lower end with an integral loop 2 for the support of a suspenders end when the buckle is to be used in connection with a pair of suspenders. Extending transversely across the upper portion of the back-plate member 1 is a slot or opening 3,with its upper edge bent inwardly and formed into a toothed rib or projection 4. A front-plate member 5 is carried by the back plate and is connected thereto by means of a suitable pivotal or hinged joint 6, whereby the front plate is capable of being folded against the inner or with a transverse slot or opening 7, with the lower edge of the slot bent inwardly and formed into a toothed rib or projection 8, spaced from and in substantial parallelism with the other rib 4:.

Upon one of the members of the buckle, preferably the back member, is a swinging catch or keeper 9, which is pivoted at one end, as at 10, to the rear side of the back member near the lower end of its outer free edge and is provided with an intermediate hook-shaped projection or lip 1 1, which is capable of embracing the free edge of the front member when the catch or keeper is swung inwardly alongside the back member of the buckle.

When the buckle is fitted to a strap, it is first opened upon its hinged joint and the strap 12 received between the front and back members, after which the latter are closed upon the strap and the catch or keeper is swung inwardly to. embrace the free edges of the buckle members, and thereby force the toothed ribs or projections land 8 into intimate engagement with opposite sides of the strap, and thereby clamp the buckle snugly thereon. .By swinging the catch or keeper out of engagement with the front member of the buckle the latter may be opened or swung away from the strap to permit of the buckle being adjusted longitudinally of the strap or removed therefrom in a very simple and expeditious manner.

An important advantage of the present buckle resides in the location of the catch or keeper 9 opposite the hinge 5, whereby the top and bottom edges of the buckle are unobstructed so as not to interfere with the strap and the latter does not interfere with the releasing of the catch. Moreover, when the catch is released the entire buckle is released from the strap without further manipulation of any other part or parts of the buckle, whereby the buckle may be readily released and removed at will.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. A buckle comprising a air of plates pivoted together and movab e lateral yto open position and each provided with an in tegral inwardly-extending projection adapted to engage the opposite sides, respectively, of a strap, and a catch pivoted to the free end of one of said plates and adapted to engage the end of the adjacent plate for locking said plates in closed position.

2. A buckle comprising a pair of plates pivoted together and movable laterally to open position and each provided with a transverse slot having one Wall thereof bent laterally to form a projection adapted to engage the opposite sides, respectively, of a strap, and a catch pivoted to one of the plates and adapted to engage the adjacent plate for locking said plates in closed position.

3. A buckle comprising front and back plates having a hinge connection, a catch pivoted to the rearside of the back plate ad jacent the edge of the plate which is opposite the hinge and having a lip to embrace the free edges of the plates and clamp the same together, one end of the back plate having a transverse slot and a loop projecting from the slotted end of the late.

In testimony that claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES A. PATTON.

Witnesses:

P. B, HULING, GEORGE W. HARDER. 

